Metallic filing-cabinet.



Patented Nov. 11,1913.

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C) w w w m (3:) c3 N v m w I (:2 I i \Q a c) 6 T HF (a WITNESSES INVENTOR fiajww f mkw IQ ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGQAPH 60., WASHINGTON, Iv c.

A. W. L. HARTBAUBR & L. G. SPARKS I METALLIC FILING CABINET.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1912-.

1,078,279. Patented Novfll, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITN ESSES INVENTGRS i MM 7 I v i H ATTORNEY COL-\{MBM PLANMRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

A. W. L. HARTBATUER & L. G. SPARKS.

METALLIC FILING CABINET.

APPLIGA'IION TILED SEPT. 17, 1912.

1',078; 279. Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES c grow/(M I rgEN fi -Wool W a N. ATTORNEY COL ILII A PLANODRAPH 20., WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN GAR &. FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METALLIC FILING-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11,1913.

Application filed. September 17, 1912. Serial No. 720,887.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUoUs'r YV. L. I'IART- BAUER and LEVI C. SPARKS, citizens of the United States and residents, respectively, of the city of hicago, State of Illinois, and of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Filing-Cabinets, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and to use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details 'of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof will occur to persons skilled in the art.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary portion of a front elevation of a filing cabinet disclosing a preferred embodiment of our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vertical and longitudinal section taken on a plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow, certain portions being omitted. Figs. 4:, 5 and 6 are vertical transverse sectional views taken respectively on the lines 44, 55 and 6-6 of Fig. 1 in each instance looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 7 is a horizontal plan view or section taken through the lower compartment, and on a plane indicated by the line 77 of Fig, 2, looking downward and in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 8 is the front elevation of the left half of the sliding front plate shown in Fig. 1, with the label frame omitted. Fig. 9 is a detailed front elevation of the label frame detached from the sliding front, and, Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Our invention relates to a filing cabinet particularly constructed and adapted to the requirements of the United States mail service, and it is an object of our invention to provide a device of the above outlined character, of relatively thin sheets of metal so constructed and arranged that the parts will be mutually braced and reinforced, and have a minimum number of parts.

It is a further object of our invention to provide in a device of the above outlined character a slidable front for a cabinet which will be simple in design, formed of a minimum number of integral pieces and particularly designed to resist torsion, incident to railway service.

Described more in detail we have shown extending longitudinally of the car, and slightly inclined downwardly and extending forwardly from a position in contact with or adjacent the inside car wall, a sheet metal bottom, the rear edge of which is downturned to form a flange 12, (Fig. 2) to which flange is riveted the back plate 13, and may of course constitute means for attaching the bottom to the car wall. The back plate eX- tends above the bottom 11, to a position adjacent the roof members or to any other height desired. A top plate 14: overlaps and is riveted to the top edge of the back plate 13, extends forwardly in a substantial horizontal plane, and has its front edge suitably riveted to the depending flange 15 of an angle 16, which angle extends lengthwise of the car and preferably constitutes one of the roof members. As shown in Fig. 2, the top plate 14 may be bent angularly or curved to conform to the configuration of the roof or ceiling of the car as may be desired. The

space outlined between the top and bottom and rear wall is divided off into a series of compartments by means of vertically extending and longitudinally spaced apart partitions, 17. The upper edge of these partitions are disposed, as more particularly shown in Fig. 3, between the opposing downward flanges 18 of the top member of the top plate 14, and the flanges and par titions are riveted together by means of rivets 18'. The lower edge of the partition 17 is formed into an attaching flange 19, fastened by means of rivets 20 to the bottom 11. As these partitions do not have to support any material weight, they may be of much smaller gage than the bottom 11. The rear wall of the partition 17 as shown in Fig. 7 is similarly bent to form an attaching flange 21, engaging the face of the rear wall and attached thereto by means of the rivets 22.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 7, the

front portions of the partition 17 are constructed to form part of a sliding groove for the accommodation of one edge of the sliding front hereinafter described. This channel may be formed by bifurcating the front portion of the partition 17, to form diverting members, and then forming integral with each end of the bifurcated members an integral and inwardly turned L shaped eX- tension, the oppositely disposed legs of which l. shaped extensions form a shoulder constituting one side of the passageway. As shown in Fig. 7 this side is formed by bending the front portion of the partition transversely of the plane of the partition, as shown at 23 and then bending the outer portion of the metal sheet back upon itself to form a' shoulder 24, and again bending the outer edge of the metal into a plane with the major portion of the partition to form the outstanding leg 25. An additional strip or sheet 20 of the form complementary to the portions 23, 24, and 25 has its inner portion riveted to the partition 17 by means of the rivet 27. The outstanding leg 28 of this strip is placed back to back with the leg 25 forming the outer edge of the partition 17, and the outer projecting edges of the legs 25 and 28 are fastened together in position by means of a T shaped cap 30, which straddles the legs, presenting a smooth surface to the same. This head or cap 30'has heads or wings 31 extending in opposite directions spaced from and coacting with the shoulders 23, heretofore described, and with the shoulder 29 formed by the strip 26, to form a passageway therebetween for adjacent vertical edges of cont-iguous sliding fronts 32, each of which sliding fronts is disposed between adjacent partitions and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 which fronts cover approximately one third of the open front of each of the compartments hereinafter more fully described. WVhile but one compartment may be formed, as hereinbefore described, it is usual in constructions of this character to form superimposed compartments, and for this purpose there is positioned between adjacent partitions, and extending forwardly in advance of the rear wall one or more horizontally disposed shelves or partitions 33. The partition shown in Fig. 2, is inclined slightly downwardly and forwardly, and in a plane parallel to the plane containing the bottom 11. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 this partition has downturned side flanges 34, by means of which the same is held in position and attached to the vertical partitions by means of rivets 34.

Outlining the front edge of the shelf or partition 33, and positioned between the reinforced front edge of the adjacent partitions is a front facing 35 of a substantial vertically disposed U shape and preferably of heavier gaged material than the material used in the partition 33, which facing has suitably affixed to the outside thereof an upper line of pouch hooks 36. A lower line of pouch hooks 36 is disposed along the depending front facing 37 preferably formed integral with the front edge of the bottom 11, which facing as shown is the outer leg or flange, of a vertically disposed U bracing or bending 37. The facing 35 is of substantially the same construction except that it underlaps the partition 33 instead of formed integral therewith. By this construction it is seen that the sheet members are angled to form a suflicient support for the heavy bags hung on the hooks 3G and 36.

It will be noted that the inclination of the shelf 33 and bottom 11 will cause matter thrown into the compartments to fall to the front, this movement being intercepted by the stop-plates or fronts 32. These fronts are slidably mounted, for vertical movement in the grooves hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 7, and are preferably of sheet metal, the edges of which are inbent to form bracing flanges 38, which flanges fit within the grooves or channels hereinbefore described, the sliding plate preferably being ornamentally pressed and perforated to form openings 39 therethrough, by means of which the contents inside of each compartment may be viewed.

In order to afford a means of lifting the sliding front and at the same time to constitute a frame to accommodate a label, there is riveted to the plate, centrally thereof and above the openings 39, a frame 40 which as shown more particularly in Figs. 9 and 10 comprises a flat attaching body portion 41, having rivet holes 42 in opposite ends thereof, the central upper edge of which is opened to form a card outlining space, which space is outlined by the rabbet or head 44, the central upper portion of which head is outturned to form an integral finger latch It will be understood that a label may be inserted between the raised bead and the front face of the sliding front 32. In order to raise this sliding front a ready engagement is afforded by means of the latch 45.

In order to hold the sliding front 32 in raised position so that matter in the compartment may slide out therefrom, there is disposed on the rear face of each sliding front and within the flanges 3S, and adjacent opposite ends thereof a flat leaf bowed spring 46, having its lower end 47 suitably attached to the 'rear face of the sliding front, and having a bow portion slidably engaging with one of the shoulders 23 or 29. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the shoulders 23 and 29 are inset to form a pocket 47 adapted to house the bowed portion of the spring 46, thereby retaining the sliding front in raised position.

What we claim is 1 A metallic filing cabinet comprising a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom, a rear wall and side partitions riveted to said bottom forming an open front compartment, contiguous sliding fronts, said partitions having transversely extended front portions, and means cooperating therewith to form passageways for the adjacent vertical edges of said fronts.

2. A metallic filing cabinet comprising a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom, a rear wall and side partitions riveted to said bottom forming an open front compartment, contiguous sliding fronts, said partitions having transversely extended front portions, means cooperating therewith to form passageways for the adjacent vertical edges of said fronts, and means maintaining said fronts in raised position.

3. In a filing cabinet, a slidable pressed front plate for said cabinet, said plate having inbent bracing flanges, and partitions having oppositely bent flanges forming channels in which said bracing flanges are received.

i. In a railroad car, a filing cabinet including a longitudinal angle, a transverse partition depending from said angle, said partition having a vertical recess adapted to coact with a similar recess in an adjacent partition to afiord means for guiding a slidable front closing plate for said cabinet.

5. In a filing cabinet, a sheet forming a partition and offset to form a shoulder, a second sheet having a shoulder disposed in alinement with said partition shoulder, means connecting said sheets and having a pair of oppositely disposed wings, each wing coacting With one of said shoulders to form a channelway for a sliding front.

6. In a filing cabinet, a partition the front portion of which is bifurcated an inwardly extending shoulder integral with the outer end of each bifurcation, an L shaped member integral with the outer end of each bifurcation and a cap fastening said member back to back, said cap coacting with said shoulders to form guideways.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST W. L. I-IARTBAUER. LEVI C. SPARKS.

Witnesses as to August W. L. Hartbauer:

C. W. RUDOLPH, DONALD D. MILLIKIN. Witnesses as to Levi C. Sparks:

E. J. LANGTIM, G. C. CHERBONNIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

